Car seat for "little person" (dwarfism

owings80 · Nov 2, 2010

My son has a rare form of dwarfism, and has difficulty sitting in a car bench or captains seat. He is 42 inches tall and weighs 135. The seat belt, lap and shoulder, does not fit properly, and exposes him to injury. We are forced to have him ride in his power wheel chair. Where can I purchase a booster car seat that will afford a degree of protection, and comfort?
Your assistance will be appreciated.

Sincerely,

John Owings
owings80 AT aol DOT com

carseatcoach · Nov 2, 2010

How old is your son?

The widest booster seat on the market is the Cosco Apex. It is a a combination harness-to-booster seat: your son is well over the harness limit* but once the harness is removed, it is a very wide booster seat that should position the belts appropriately.

* He is also technically over the booster weight limit for this or any other booster on the market (ETA: except for some special-needs seats, but I honestly think the Apex would give a better fit for a person of the proportions you state).

I cannot advise you to use a seat against manufacturer's instructions, but I can tell you that if I had a 42"/135# child, I would put that child in a booster over the limit as I think it is the least-bad choice available to you. I'm sorry that I can't give you any better suggestions.

Jennifer mom to my 7 · Nov 2, 2010

chickabiddy said:
How old is your son?

The widest booster seat on the market is the Cosco Apex. It is a a combination harness-to-booster seat: your son is well over the harness limit* but once the harness is removed, it is a very wide booster seat that should position the belts appropriately.

* He is also technically over the booster weight limit for this or any other booster on the market. I cannot advise you to use a seat against manufacturer's instructions, but I can tell you that if I had a 42"/135# child, I would put that child in a booster over the limit as I think it is the least-bad choice available to you. I'm sorry that I can't give you any better suggestions.

Everything chickabiddy said. I also wonder if the monterey would work. He would also be over the weight limit for it, but it might help position the belt properly.

I am also curious as to whether the weight might be a typo?

I wanted to add, I realize, as he has dwarfism, that the weight might just be correct, as proportions can be very off.